“So, Frances could not bring herself to attend the wedding?” Mrs. Talbot asked.
Bennet chuckled. “That is asking too much of my wife. She is certain that this young couple will turn her out to the hedgerows once I have gone to my eternal rest.”
Harriet laughed. “Did you remind her she has one married daughter already, and that if I am any judge, all your lovely girls will be married before long? Then she will have five homes to choose from. She might live out her days in luxury in Derbyshire if that handsome son-in-law of yours is as wealthy as I have heard.”
“Yes, he is that, but you forget, Frances has never cared for my little Lizzy, and I doubt she would willingly spend her old age under her roof.”
“More fool her,” Harriet said with a smirk.
Bennet glanced down at her. “You are happy with this marriage, then? You will not lose your little granddaughter to her uncle in Scotland.”
“No indeed. The parsonage is only fifty miles away. What is fifty miles of good road? It is nothing. She promises to invite me often, and she says she will return to Meryton once each quarter for business.”
Bennet nodded. “Yes, that is true. I have invited my heir to review the ledgers with me at the end of each quarter, to help me plan for the coming year. I will miss my Lizzy. We always reviewed the ledgers together, but now she has gone away from her old papa.”
“Never you worry, Thomas,” Harriet said kindly. “That little girl loves you. I am certain that before the year is out, she will have invited you to visit her.”
“Yes, I believe she will.”
For a moment, Darcy’s tall figure and serious eyes rose in his mind. He recalled the man’s earnest words:“I wish to marry Miss Elizabeth myself. I could not bear for her to be another man’s wife; it would be insupportable.”
The memory comforted him. His son-in-law would care for his beloved wife’s sisters, should it ever come to that. Bennet had seen the depth of love in the man’s eyes and knew he would do whatever was required to ensure his wife’s happiness.
Four hours later, Thomas and Frances Bennet stood by the roadside, waving farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Collins. Bennet had lent his carriage for the journey, promising to send it each quarter to convey the young couple back to Meryton for their regular visit. The Lucases and the Gouldings had joined themfor dinner the previous evening to offer their good wishes and farewells. Frances had behaved with tolerable composure, and Mrs. Talbot had refrained from teasing her too much about surrendering her home to another. All in all, Bennet was satisfied with the outcome.
The clock had just struck seven, and Bingley was already up and dressed, sitting in the breakfast parlor with Darcy and Richard. “Darcy,” he said, “I mean to be gone only a week. You are certain that if Caroline is traveling south from Selby, she must travel on the Sheffield road to come south?”
Darcy nodded. “Yes, Bingley. Her driver must take the turnpike at Doncaster to pick up the Sheffield road, then continue south toward Bakewell. The only road from the north to Pemberley is the Longstone road. From the express, we can infer that she has been traveling for one or two days. I doubt you will have to travel very far north before you meet with her on the road. By now, she may have already arrived at my gatehouse.”
Bingley looked troubled but rose from his chair. “Very well. My men and I shall leave now, and Stevens will follow behind in the carriage with my trunk.” He shook Darcy’s hand and nodded to Richard. “I hope to see you both within the week. If Caroline arrives here, please have your best men escort her back to Selby. I do not want her anywhere near Miss Bennet. From what I saw yesterday, she is very nearly ready to cast me off because of my sister.”
Darcy’s expression softened. “I am sorry to hear that, Bingley. If Caroline arrives at my front door, I will have the Miller brothers return her to her husband. Farewell, and Godspeed.”
When Bingley had gone, Richard turned to his cousin. “And you, Darcy? Will you try to meet Christiana before she meets your wife?”
Darcy blanched. “I will not. What would Elizabeth say or do if she knew I had met alone with another woman, even if the visit was in her father’s house with him present? No, I must wait until chance brings us together, which may unfortunately occur next Sunday at church, before our guests and all the parishioners of Lambton filling the pews to observe the awkward spectacle.”
Richard‘s eyes narrowed in contemplation. “We may be making too much of this. Your wife is a rational woman.”
Darcy suppressed a shudder. “But Christiana is not. You remember how emotional and demonstrative she was want to be. Now that I think of it, she always favored a dramatic display. I do not know how I could have been so taken with her then. I despise drama now.”
Richard said, “She is the very reason you have grown so guarded, Darcy. Through her betrayal, you learned to mistrust emotion and to believe that women, and people in general, are not safe. But there are good souls in this world, and Mrs. Darcy is one of them.”
Darcy shrugged. “Yes, Christiana taught me to beware, women are not always what they seem. Elizabeth has been my salvation in that regard. She is the sweetest and most genuine woman I have ever known. I am learning that there are still good women to be found, even in this day and age.”
Richard clapped him on the shoulder. “Matters cannot be so dire, and they might easily have been worse.”
Darcy’s mouth curved into a wry smile. “Pray tell, Richard, how could they be worse? Caroline may appear on my doorstep at any moment, and Christiana may seek to waylay me if I am not on my guard.”
Richard chuckled, a gleam of mischief in his eye. “Even now, you might be married to one of them.”
Darcy snorted. “Come, Richard, let us ride before you frighten me clear into next week.”
“Yes,” Richard said, rising from his chair. “Let us ride before this conversation grows any more ridiculous.”
He moved toward the door, then turned back to his cousin. “Perhaps you should tell your wife about your former attachment to Christiana Ashbrook. It might be for the best.”
Darcy met his gaze gravely. “I will think on it, Richard.”
